1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an automatically resetting rodent exterminating apparatus having a mechanical crushing or striking bar which is powered by a pressure fluid operated actuator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The long standing problem of rodent control has resulted in a number of inventions directed to devices for trapping and exterminating rodents of various kinds. Mechanical traps and exterminating devices of various types have been developed and known for many years. However, recently greater emphasis has been placed on chemical poisons as a major means of rodent extermination because they have been determined to be cost effective. The development of rodents which are largely immune to certain chemical poisons, the environmental concerns regarding the use of poisons, and other disadvantages of chemicals has resulted in the realization that a rodent control device which is effective as well as non-toxic is preferably a mechanical device. Moreover, in most facilities where rodent control is required such as food storage areas it is desirable to provide exterminating apparatus which is capable of delivering a fatal injury to the rodent at the immediate site of the apparatus to eliminate the problem of disabled rodents leaving the site to expire elsewhere in an area where it is undesirable for the rodent carcass to remain.
It has also been deemed desirable to provide rodent exterminating apparatus which is automatically resettable or otherwise capable of operating continuously for long periods of time to exterminate a number of rodents without attention from operating personnel. In this regard electromechanical as well as electrocution type exterminating devices have been developed. However, electrical devices are not suitable for many locations such as grain storage areas and the like because of the hazard created by electrical arcing in an explosive atmosphere. Moreover, electrical as well as certain other known mechanical devices can be hazardous to operating personnel during set up and servicing.
Other problems associated with prior art exterminating devices of the break back or striking bar type include lack of mechanical power or force exertion sufficient to kill large rodents in the immediate vicinity of the device itself and the slow response time for actuation of the striking mechanism after being triggered by the rodent.